The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said it is now in possession of affidavits from witnesses against a travel agency in Pasig City involved in illegal recruitment activities.

The case stems from the shutdown of STATE 101 Travel Visa Consultancy on Thursday, which authorities said was linked to the deployment of Filipino caregivers to the United States.

According to the DMW, the travel agency is not licensed to recruit and deploy Filipino workers overseas and has no approved job orders for deployment to the US.

“We already caught the affidavit. We are trying to see if there are additional complainants so we can include them in our case,” Migrant Workers Undersecretary Bernard Olalia told DAILY TRIBUNE.

He said the agency currently has three affidavits from witnesses.

According to Olalia, surveillance operations showed the agency was recruiting workers bound for the United States, offering caregiving jobs with salaries reportedly not lower than P150,000.

However, the agency was allegedly collecting training fees exceeding P150,000.

“We have four victims who were there yesterday. We confirmed what they are doing. They don't have a license in the DMW yet they are using the DMW. So we went there to close the office and we will file the appropriate cases against the owners of that office,” he said.

Olalia said the agency is registered with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and has a barangay permit, but stressed this does not authorize overseas recruitment.

The DMW said it is preparing to file charges for syndicated, large-scale, and staffed illegal recruitment, a non-bailable offense.

Victim assistance

Olalia said the government will extend assistance to those allegedly victimized, including financial aid under the AKSYON Fund, legal assistance, and referral to legitimate recruitment agencies for possible deployment.

On whether victims can recover the P150,000 they allegedly paid, Olalia acknowledged the challenge.

“If they will not return, we will not allow that. We will include in the demand the civil liability. We will do everything to not only imprison them, but also to return the money that they collected through the civil indemnity.”

Warning vs illegal recruitment

Olalia urged Filipinos to remain vigilant against illegal recruitment and trafficking schemes, particularly those circulating on social media.

“There are a lot of scams nowadays, especially on our social platforms like Facebook,” he said.

He advised job seekers to look out for red flags, including recruiters who do not coordinate with the DMW, and warned against accepting tourist or student visas for supposed overseas work.

“You should get an appropriate visa. Do not allow them to give you a tourist visa, a student visa, or any visa aside from a working visa,” he said.

“Do not pay online. Do not just pay, especially if it is of great importance. It is a red flag if it is of great importance. The first thing to do is to immediately stop the placement fee,” he added.